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Football

22nd Mar 2018

Didier Drogba’s brutal assessment of Lionel Messi is bound to p*ss people off

James Dawson

Drogba is a legend but you can’t imagine this is going to get a warm reception.

He might have won the Ballon d’Or five times and be considered the greatest player of his generation, but there are still people who feel we will only know where Lionel Messi stands in the all-time rankings after this summer.

Although the Argentinian has won multiple Champions League and domestic trophies with Barcelona, he has failed to win the World Cup with his country – something that legends of the past, Maradona and Pele, both achieved.

Didier Drogba has now come out and said that he feel the 30-year-old needs to win the World Cup in Russia to be considered the GOAT.

“He could stop now and he would have done a lot for football,” said the Chelsea Legend, the Daily Express reports.

“He is not yet up to Maradona and Pele, but it is not far at all.

“Winning a World Cup would make him even more legendary. He is a player who is out of the ordinary.”

As he is not getting any younger, it’s likely that this year will be Messi’s last opportunity to win the World Cup. He has previously spoken about how much he would like to lift the trophy.

“I imagine being able to be in that game, to win it, to be able to raise the cup,” he has said.

“It’s the dream I have always had and every time a World Cup comes it gets even stronger.”

Although Argentina are one of the favourites for the competition, they have finished as runners up in their last three finals, having lost the Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016 and finished as runners up to Germany in the 2014 World Cup.

You’ve got to imagine it’s going to be gutting for Messi when Harry Kane lifts the trophy in July.